I am curious as to why the engines (specifically engines 1 & 4) are positioned far closer to the fuselage on the An-124 compared to a typical 4-engined jet.
I am curious as to whether this design was totally due to wing aerodynamics, or if it may also be related to the shoulder wing design & wing droop when not flying.
Overlay that matches the wingspan of a 747-100 (top) to an An-124, showing the more inward placement of the jet engines.